


of all the stars, you shine the brightest

by princejoonie



Series: zeldateez au collection [1]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: (you don't need to know anything about it to read this), Adventure & Romance, Camping, Established Relationship, Excessive use of petnames, Fantasy, Fluff, Gerudo Kim Hongjoong, Hiking, Hong uses they/them pronouns, Hongjoong takes Seonghwa on an adventure across Hyrule, Kissing, Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild AU, Marriage Proposal, Nonbinary Character, Other, Prince Park Seonghwa, Seongjoong Week 2020, Stargazing, Sunrises, Sunsets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:47:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24353827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princejoonie/pseuds/princejoonie
Summary: For all that Hylian Prince Seonghwa had traveled to different regions across Hyrule for trade negotiations and so-called ‘improving relations’, he didn’t feel like he had explored even remotely enough of what the kingdom had to offer. He had heard plenty tales of the hidden treasures of Hyrule; everything grander and more spectacular than the last, but he hadn’t been given the chance to experience them himself.His partner, Gerudo Guard Hongjoong, always promised to show him the world one day. Now, they take him on a trek across Hyrule to see some of its most beautiful gems.
Relationships: Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Series: zeldateez au collection [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2168652
Comments: 10
Kudos: 49
Collections: Seongjoong Week 2020, all time favorites





	of all the stars, you shine the brightest

**Author's Note:**

> Hello !!
> 
> This was a really fun piece to write for the Seongjoong Week D5 prompt 'nature'! It was originally going to be a short oneshot, but I adore Breath of the Wild and this concept that I came up with, so suddenly it became this almost 12k extravaganza of Seongjoong's adventures across Hyrule. You don't need to know anything about Breath of the Wild to read this or worry about any game spoilers because I've described everything you need to know in the story and the plot is completely unrelated to the game! I have a picture of the map of Hyrule [here](https://twitter.com/woosanger/status/1262135654336598016?s=20) !!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, please do leave kudos and a comment if you enjoyed this !! <3
> 
> xx

For all that Hylian Prince Seonghwa had traveled to different regions across Hyrule for trade negotiations and so-called ‘improving relations’, he didn’t feel like he had explored even remotely enough of what the kingdom had to offer. It was always the same, most secure routes that lead him directly to the major settlements of the different races, with no time to deviate from the path and adventure into the wilderness. He had heard plenty of tales of the hidden treasures of Hyrule; the plunging waterfalls in the depths of the rainforest, enchanted springs that shimmered with mystical power and even whispers of great, ancient dragons that serve the Goddess Hylia. Unfortunately, he had always been so busy that he rarely had enough time to travel by himself, and when he did he usually headed across the desert to Gerudo Town to visit one of the guards that had captured his heart the first time he had met with their chief.

Hongjoong Kim was, to put it simply, absolutely captivating. They were smaller than the average Gerudo, with a strong and slender figure, honeyed skin and fiery red hair held in place by a delicate golden circlet. Whilst their face was often half covered by a silk veil, Seonghwa would always be entranced by the fierce passion that sparkled in their deep brown eyes. When they first met, he was initially taken aback by there being someone who was not a woman living in a town that was, to his knowledge, strictly female, but Hongjoong had shrugged and pointed out that they weren’t a man either, so exceptions could be made.

It’s been a couple of months since Seonghwa last saw Hongjoong and a couple of weeks since he received a letter from them. He doesn’t want to get wound up over it, but they usually correspond weekly and his heart aches when he thinks about how much he misses them. Next week is his birthday and an extravagant party is being held in his honour, however he is still awaiting a response from Hongjoong to the invite he sent them.

“Seonghwa, are you listening to me?”

“Ah!” Seonghwa blinks, looking up from the papers in front of him to his father who was explaining a proposed plan on establishing stronger links with the Gorons on Death Mountain (at least, that’s what’s scribbled on his notes?). “I apologise, I spaced out. You were saying?”

The king chuckles good-naturedly, shaking his head, “I know that look on your face, you were daydreaming about a certain Gerudo again, weren’t you?”

“I wasn’t daydreaming!” Seonghwa splutters. His father raises a skeptical eyebrow at him and he grimaces. “Sorry, I miss them a lot. I’ll try not to get so distracted.”

“It’s alright, my son,” the king says sympathetically. “I understand it is difficult to be away from someone you love so dearly for such a long time.”

Nodding, Seonghwa sighs heavily, “I’ve been hoping they’ll have enough free time to come to the party but I am yet to hear back from them on my invitation.”

“I wouldn’t worry too much, I’m sure they would pull many strings just to be able to see you on your birthday.” There was a knowing twinkle in the king’s eyes as he spoke that had Seonghwa staring at him suspiciously. “For now though, perhaps you should focus your mind on other things, like this proposal for example.”

“Yes! Apologies, the Gorons and getting to their home at the volcano without burning to death, go on.”

\---

The following week passed far too slowly for Seonghwa’s liking. Every day, he sought out the Rito post carrier, Saki, to see if she came with a letter from Hongjoong, and every day she shook her head and told him to wait a bit longer.

He could tell she knew more than she was letting on; after all she would’ve flown to Gerudo Town personally to deliver the letters so Seonghwa didn’t doubt that Hongjoong had received it. Realistically, they were probably too busy to respond. Hongjoong was high up in the Gerudo guard and often protected the chief herself, and as a prince Seonghwa knew all too well how much can slip your mind when you’re overwhelmed with work. However, he couldn’t help conjuring up images of Hongjoong getting heavily injured in an unexpected attack, or scenarios of Hongjoong deciding they had lost interest in him. Saki had tutted at him disapprovingly for those thoughts, assuring him that when she had been to Gerudo Town, Hongjoong was safe and well, just very occupied with work.

“Don’t fret, your highness,” she tittered. “You’ll see them soon, I’m sure.”

Seonghwa’s birthday arrives with no word from Hongjoong and he can’t help the sinking feeling in his heart. He’d hoped that at the very least Hongjoong would’ve sent along a birthday card, even if they were too busy to make the journey to Hyrule Castle.

“You’re brooding, Prince Seonghwa,” a voice comments in amusement.

Seonghwa didn’t bother turning around, continuing to gaze out across the castle to the main entrance below. “I’ll have you know I’m admiring the view, San. It’s a beautiful day, is it not?”

The castle guard snorts, swinging his legs over the wall of the battlements to settle next to Seonghwa. “Say that again with the enthusiasm you would expect of a man on his twenty-sixth birthday.”

Seonghwa fixes San with a disapproving glare, and the guard snickers and pats him on the head affectionately. “It’s okay, I know who you’re waiting for.” He looks down at the main gate and the road beyond it. “You aren’t planning to sit here all day though, are you? I’m not one to stop you spending your birthday how you want but I hope you can enjoy it even if Hongjoong doesn’t turn up.”

“Mm, I have to attend a meeting in half an hour so I couldn’t anyway,” Seonghwa says wearily.

“Ah our prince, still working hard as ever!” San gives him a soft smile. “I’ll keep you company til then, if you want?”

Seonghwa’s lips quirk upwards. “I’d like that, thank you Sannie.”

After that, the rest of the day goes by in a blur of last minute meetings and stolen glances over the castle walls to see if he can spot a familiar head of crimson hair among the people arriving at the gates. Soon enough, Seonghwa is whisked away to his room to get ready for his birthday dinner and the following evening party. A maid pins his hair up to apply some contour to his cheeks and a smokey eyeshadow to his eyelids, before slicking half his hair back and letting the other part of his fringe fall elegantly in front of his face. She points towards his wardrobe, telling him his outfit is hung up in there and that he should be ready in the dining hall in twenty minutes. He thanks her and she bows and hurries out.

The suit he finds is red velvet, the jacket embroidered with delicate golden patterns that weave into the shape of the royal family crest, paired with a crisp, black shirt. Seonghwa puts them on and unbuttons the top of his shirt, walking over to his dressing table to bring out his jewellery box. Inside are some of his most prized possessions; a collection of three gold chains, the smallest encrusted with lustrous rubies. With their ornate splendour, it was evident they were a traditional Gerudo make, handcrafted by the finest of jewellers in the land. Hongjoong had gifted them to him for his last birthday, eyes shining as they described the great stone talus monster that they had defeated to obtain the rubies now embellished in one chain. Whilst Seonghwa only wore the chains for special events, he treasured them dearly, knowing how important jewellery was in Gerudo culture and honoured that his beloved had shared that with him. As he fixes the clasp behind his neck and glances at his reflection in the mirror, he can’t help but wish that Hongjoong was standing behind him, placing the chains around his neck and kissing him sweetly.

His birthday dinner isn’t supposed to be as big as the party; just his family and friends before all of the aristocracy that they are obliged to invite flood in. Seonghwa is grateful that his parents let him have the smaller celebration first so he doesn’t have to keep up pretenses the whole night. Everyone is there when he walks into the dining hall: the king, the queen, his younger sister and the castle guards and sons of aristocracy that were his longtime friends. He doesn’t miss the empty placemat laid next to his own, presumably for Hongjoong in case they show.

They don’t.

It’s a nice dinner, regardless. Seonghwa eats until he feels like he’s about to burst and chats with the people he loves, appreciating this rare time together where they’re all in one place (all but one, anyway). San stops him from pouring himself a second glass of wine, reminding him that he can’t turn up to his party already tipsy- he has appearances to make, after all. Despite Seonghwa rolling his eyes at him and telling him it’s his party so he’ll do what he wants, he refrains from touching the alcohol again.

They all move down to the ballroom a little while later when the time for the party comes. It fills with lords and ladies from across Hyrule and Seonghwa finds himself quickly occupied with greeting all the guests. Sometimes he forgets how tiring these kinds of events are, especially when he’s the centre of attention. Every person seeks him out to wish him a happy birthday, simpering women pressing sticky kisses to his cheeks with red lips and highly polished men shaking his hand with a strong grip and joking about how the ladies are all over him tonight. He just laughs and pretends he’s not trying to catch glimpses of the people who walk through the door for the only person that he really wants the attention of.

It’s getting late when he finally thinks he’s spoken to everyone in the ballroom. San and Mingi have both dragged him onto the dance floor a couple of times to save him from overbearing aristocracy, but now he stands alone near the grand staircase nursing a cold flute of champagne he’d managed to snag from a passing waiter.

“Happy birthday, your highness,” a voice speaks from behind him.

He turns, mouth opening to thank whoever he somehow missed on his rounds, but the words die on his tongue when he rests his gaze upon them.

Hongjoong grins at him, all sparkling eyes and plush lips and perfect teeth, and Seonghwa forgets how to breathe. He has Hongjoong’s every feature memorised- down to the straightness of their nose and the curve of their eyebrows and the mole on the base of their neck- yet nothing could prepare him for quite how lovely they are in person. They aren’t wearing a mask tonight; instead their lips are coated with a pink shimmer and their hair is tied half up and adorned with pretty emerald clips. Tonight, they hadn’t held back on the jewellery, because gold bangles jingle around their wrists and lavish gold hoops dangle from their ears. The centrepiece is their luxurious necklace, a collection of very expensive looking emeralds resting against their bare collarbones. Their chest is covered with floral patterned silk, paired with a deep blue silk skirt that brushes the floor at the back and is layered at the top with a red and gold sash. Once again, in his almost three years of being with Hongjoong, he asks himself how he managed to get this lucky.

“Do you stand there and stare silently at all of your guests?” Hongjoong asks teasingly.

“Oh shush you,” Seonghwa laughs, leaning down to kiss Hongjoong like he’d been imagining all day. “You look gorgeous, my treasure. I’m so happy to see you, I didn’t think you were coming.”

Hongjoong pouts, “Of course I was coming, I wouldn’t miss your birthday for the world. I’m sorry for missing the dinner and not replying to your invitation though, I’ve been really busy these past few weeks and I only managed to leave yesterday afternoon.”

“It’s alright, you’re here now and that’s the most important thing,” Seonghwa says, and he truly means it. Even though his heart may ache terribly when separated from Hongjoong for too long, the happiness that overtook him in their presence made all the waiting more than worth it. “Will you be staying here long?”

“You could say that.” Hongjoong gives him a wry smile and doesn’t elaborate. As a new song picks up in the ballroom, they dip into an exaggerated curtsey, holding out their hand to Seonghwa. “May I have this dance, my prince?”

Seonghwa takes it and squeezes it gently, “Of course, my love.”

Later on, Seonghwa and Hongjoong return to his chambers, arms looped around each other and giggling from the alcohol in their bodies. Seonghwa is fully ready to push Hongjoong onto his bed, but they glare at him playfully and tell him that they’re not risking him damaging their clothes or jewellery. He lets them go with a peck on the forehead and they busy themself removing all of their jewels carefully and placing them on Seonghwa’s dressing table. It’s then that he notices two large bags by the wall, and Hongjoong rifles through one of them to find some comfier clothes to wear to sleep.

“Wow, you packed for quite a long trip, hm?” Seonghwa notes as he gets changed into his own pyjamas (not that they won’t probably be coming off in the next ten minutes, but he can make an effort not to seem too desperate, at least).

Hongjoong grins at him and climbs onto the bed, curling up at the head and patting the space next to them. “Actually, I wanted to tell you about your birthday present.”

“Oh?” Seonghwa tilts his head curiously. He doesn’t know how what he said had anything to do with his birthday present, but he pulls his pyjama top over his head and plops down beside Hongjoong. “Go on.”

“Well, it’s taken a lot of planning and pulling a lot of strings, but from today you and I officially have two weeks off duties!” Hongjoong explains excitedly, and Seonghwa gapes at them. “You know how you’ve always said you wanted to see more of Hyrule? I’ve planned us a trip across the kingdom so I can show you some of the best hidden gems. We’ll have to camp a couple of nights and of course there will be a lot of hiking involved because we can’t take horses everywhere, but I promise it’ll be so worth it.”

“I- you really- oh my.” You know how Seonghwa said he wonders how he got so lucky to be with Hongjoong? Yeah, he really wonders how he got so lucky. “I can’t believe you’ve done that all for me. So my parents were in on it?”

Hongjoong nods, “Yeah, I assume you’ve been busier than usual, right? That’s because they wanted to get extra things done before you left. It’s been the same for me, and between my additional work and planning our trip, I didn’t have time to write to you.” Their expression suddenly turns guilty. “I’m sorry, I hope it wasn’t too much hassle, I realise it probably wasn’t great to put more work on you when you were unaware.”

“No, don’t apologise, it’s fine,” Seonghwa assures them. “I was a little surprised at how much work I had, but it’s nothing I couldn’t handle, I’m used to it. And it was absolutely worth it for this gift.” He gives Hongjoong a shy smile. “We’re really going to explore Hyrule together? For a whole two weeks?”

“Yes! And we’ll have each other all to ourselves.”

Unable to hold himself back, Seonghwa lurches forwards, pushing Hongjoong into the pillows as he presses his lips to theirs firmly. “I love you so much, thank you, thank you, thank you,” he whispers between each kiss.

Hongjoong kisses him back earnestly for a moment, before pulling away enough to murmur, “I love you more than anything, happy birthday Seonghwa.” Hooking their legs around his waist, they smirk at him with a mischievous sparkle in their eyes. “Now how about I give your other present?”

“And what that might be?” Seonghwa asks, arching an eyebrow at them.

“Me.” Hongjoong purrs, drawing him back down and fitting their lips together.

\---

The next morning, Hongjoong rolls out a map on Seonghwa’s desk, the route they’re taking drawn in red with the places of interest marked.

“We’ll ride down south towards the Great Plateau and drop our horses off at the Outskirt stable. We can get food for dinner and then we’ll hike up Satori Mountain and wait till nightfall.” They tap the first star they had drawn on the map. “I’ll keep what’s at the top of the mountain a secret though.” They wink at Seonghwa before turning back to trace a path with their finger. “We’ll keep heading south afterwards across Lake Hylia and to the forest in the Faron region. There’s a stable next to Lake Floria where I was thinking we could stay for a few days because the forest is massive! We’ll have so much to explore. Our final main stop will be Lurelin Village on the coast. I’ve been once and it’s so beautiful, the locals are really lovely too. We can stay for a few days too because there’s plenty to see in the area. And finally, we’ll head north again past Mount Taran and the Dueling Peaks back to Central Hyrule.”

Seonghwa nods along to Hongjoong’s explanation, leaning over the map to scan the route eagerly. He notices they’ve written comments here and there and drawn small doodles. Confused, he squints at a stick-like animal (?) sketched several times across the page, “Is that a… giraffe?”

“No, it’s a horse!” Hongjoong says indignantly. “See, they’re all drawn next to the stables!”

“But it’s neck is so long.”

“Shut up, horses’ necks are long too.”

Shaking his head in amusement, Seonghwa turns his attention back to the map. “Hey, what does that say? Beach trip, hide Seonghwa’s--?”

Hongjoong cuts him off abruptly, slamming their hand over the words and then rolling the map back up. “Doesn’t matter!” they say far too innocently.

Seonghwa knows there’s no point in pushing it, Hongjoong is far too stubborn to give. “So when are we leaving?”

“I’m glad you’re so enthusiastic,” Hongjoong says. “As soon as we’ve packed your bag and eaten breakfast we can collect our horses from the castle stables and go, really. The kitchens have non-perishable foods for us but we’ll be able to buy plenty from stable inns and travelling merchants as well. Worst comes to the worst, I know how to hunt and catch fish and what plants are edible. We should have enough clothing to last us a week but we’ll be able to wash them at the stable inns and Lurelin Village.”

“I’m impressed, you’ve planned this out so well.” Seonghwa compliments, shifting behind Hongjoong to rest his chin on the top of their head and settle his hands on their waist.

“Of course, I had to make sure it was the perfect trip for my prince.” Hongjoong turns in Seonghwa’s grasp to look up at him with a grin. “Plus, your parents were very clear that I had to give them a detailed plan for them to approve it and make sure that the route avoids all monsters. Not that it’ll be a problem either way, I can protect you.”

“Truly my knight in shining armour, saving their poor, helpless prince.” Seonghwa pretends to swoon and Hongjoong hits his arm lightly.

“It’s a big task, but I’m sure I can handle it.” Hongjoong teases, pushing up on their toes to kiss Seonghwa’s nose. “You can just stand there and look pretty, okay?”

“As if you don’t have the looking pretty part handled already.”

“You’re so embarrassing.” Hongjoong tries to wriggle from Seonghwa’s arms and he tightens his hold playfully, peppering kisses across their face.

“My pretty Gerudo guard, pretty pretty.” He says fondly between kisses.

“Get off--” Hongjoong whines, although one glimpse of their expression shows that they’re fighting back a smile. “Seonghwa, we have to pack your bag or we’ll never leave!”

“Alright, you have a point.” He releases them with one last kiss to their lips. “Let’s get ready to go!”

They set out late morning once they’ve attached their bags to the horses’ saddles and said goodbye to the king and queen (Hongjoong gets another stern warning to take care of Seonghwa and they promise to bring him back unhurt). It’s been a couple of months since Seonghwa last left Central Hyrule, so the weight of the sword at his side feels unfamiliar. Whilst he is perfectly capable of defending himself (despite his parents’ fretting), he hopes they won’t run into any trouble that leads him to needing to. He feels reassured by the fact that the paths they’re taking have been long cleared of monsters and the monster camps are usually tucked out of the way of people to remain unbothered.

Hongjoong is wearing clothing more practical for travel, with three-quarter length trousers and a light jacket to fight off the morning chill, but still adorned with golden accessories and a top that barely covers their chest. Seonghwa thinks that they could be travelling through a heavy snowstorm and Hongjoong would remain unrelenting on the floaty Gerudo silks revealing enough to display all their jewellery. He used to be baffled that they lacked a lot in the form of armour. Years later, he had long learnt that their impeccable speed and skill in a fight meant only the vital areas needed to be covered.

Their journey to the Outskirt Stable is peaceful. They ride along at a slow pace with quiet chatter, admiring the rippling water of the nearby river and the rolling hills that tower above them. The sun is bright and full in the sky and Hongjoong’s hair glows like a flame in its light. Most of the journey is familiar as Seonghwa usually takes a similar route to reach the Gerudo desert, although it’s infinitely better when he has Hongjoong telling him stories along the way (one of which was about the large, one eyed beast that used to reside in Giant’s Forest, hence why the area got its name, until it was slain by a mighty warrior. Seonghwa knew the tale well, but he gasped at all the right moments like it was his first time hearing it).

They arrive at the stable early afternoon following a brief rest stop among some old ruins to eat lunch. Two cheery stablehands take their horses from them, leading them into a wide, fenced off area where they can graze. Seonghwa and Hongjoong pay for a room at the inn, dumping their bags at the end of the bed and starting to prepare for their hike up Satori Mountain.

“We should get to the top just as it’s getting dark, so we can picnic up there for dinner,” Hongjoong tells him as they study the map. “I haven’t been up the mountain in a while but I’m still quite familiar with the route.”

“Do I really not get to know what’s at the top?”

“Nope! You will find out in due course.”

\---

They fit a blanket and enough food to last them for the night into one rucksack. Seonghwa offers to take the bag first since Hongjoong has their shield and scimitar strapped to their back. He contemplates Hongjoong’s lightweight clothing and wonders if they’ll be cold at the top of the mountain, to which they brush him off with a wave and insist that all the walking will warm them up.

Seonghwa likes to think he’s a fit and healthy person, but goddess it has been a long time since he has done a lengthy trek uphill, and halfway up the mountain he starts to feel a bit sticky with sweat. Hongjoong, who seems unfazed by the exercise, takes pity on him and lets them rest at a small lake on the mountainside. The cool water is refreshing, and it takes a lot of restraint for Seonghwa not to just stick his head in the lake. Instead, he cups some water in his hands and splashes it on his face, before settling back on the grass with a deep sigh of relief.

“Hey.” Hongjoong says in a provoking tone that suggests they are most definitely about to propose some sort of competition. They pick up a smooth stone from the edge of the lake. “I challenge you to a skimming contest, most jumps before the stone sinks wins.”

Seonghwa crawls next to him, a new rush of energy as he searches for the roundest stone he can find on the ground. “Alright, you’re on.”

Hongjoong grins, crouching down and levelling their stone with the surface of the lake and moving their hand back and forwards a few times before letting it go with a swift snap of their wrist. It skims across the surface in five neat jumps and sinks.

Smug, Hongjoong turns back to Seonghwa and gestures for him to have a go. He holds his stone between his thumb and forefinger, mimicking Hongjoong’s movements as he works out the best angle to throw it. Five is hard to beat, but he’s determined to wipe that satisfied smirk off Hongjoong’s lips.

He lets the stone go after a few more test flicks and counts the jumps with bated breath.

“Six!” he and Hongjoong say at the same time, his voice celebratory and theirs disbelieving.

“I won.” Seonghwa smiles at them triumphantly. “Do I get a prize?”

Hongjoong pouts, turning away from him to swing the bag over their shoulder and stand up. “No, this game is dumb anyway,” they sulk.

Pushing himself to his feet, Seonghwa drapes an arm around Hongjoong’s shoulders. “Oh well, the knowledge that I beat you is prize enough.”

“You are the worst person ever,” they say dully. Seonghwa laughs.

They reach the top of the mountain as it begins to get dark. Seonghwa is ready to collapse on the ground and rifle through the bag for some well-earned food, but Hongjoong tugs on his arm and tells him to turn around. When Seonghwa does, he’s met with a breathtaking view of the fields and hills of Central Hyrule stretching beneath them, the sun slowly sinking behind the faraway mountains as the sky is painted with gorgeous hues of orange. He can see the castle silhouetted in the distance and wishes he could somehow frame this exact moment to take back and show his parents.

“It’s beautiful…” Seonghwa breathes, awestruck. “Is this why you wanted to come up here during the evening?”

Hongjoong tilts their head. Seonghwa notices they’re not admiring the view, but rather gazing at him with a fond smile on their lips. “It was one of the reasons, yes, but the main one is yet to come.”

“Oh? Is it something even more beautiful than the sunset?”

“You’ll have to see for yourself,” Hongjoong says secretively. “How about we eat first, though?”

At that moment, Seonghwa’s stomach rumbles and he nods eagerly. They lay their blanket beneath a tree, huddling on it together and opening the steaming flasks of beef and vegetable stew they’d bought from the stable. As the sun descends further below the horizon, the temperature drops, and Hongjoong shivers and tries to draw their loose jacket more tightly around themself. Seonghwa wraps his free arm around them to draw them closer to his body and they cling onto him in response.

“Are you trying to steal all my body heat?”

Hongjoong makes an affirmative noise, shifting closer until they’re practically in Seonghwa’s lap.

“I told you that you should’ve worn something thicker,” Seonghwa says in amusement.

“I’m a Gerudo, thick clothing is not in our vocabulary or wardrobes,” Hongjoong grumbles into his shirt.

“Yes yes of course, looking pretty doesn’t come without sacrifice.”

Hongjoong glares up at him, about to make a snappy response, but suddenly their attention is diverted when a soft, blue glow sweeps the top of the mountain. Any of Hongjoong’s previous irritation is melted away as they stumble to their feet earnestly, hauling Seonghwa up with them.

“They’re here!” Hongjoong says excitedly. Who exactly ‘they’ is, Seonghwa has no clue. “Okay okay, we’ve got to be really really quiet so we don’t scare them off, just follow behind me.”

Seonghwa looks at them in confusion, but Hongjoong just answers his expression with a shushing finger to their lips. Together, they creep through a massive rock formation that opens into a small clearing with a cherry blossom tree, pink petals floating down into a shimmering pond. However, that isn’t what makes Seonghwa gasp in wonder.

The clearing is bathed in blue light, and scattered around the pond are a group of small, azure creatures that sort of resemble shining rabbits, except their faces are more owl-like. In the centre is a regal horse of the same gleaming blue, with a bright white mane, golden antlers and two owlish faces with piercing gold eyes.

“Is that… the Lord of the Mountain?” Seonghwa whispers.

Hongjoong nods, “You know the story?”

“Yeah, I thought it was just a myth though.” The Lord of the Mountain was essentially a fairytale, told to him as he was tucked into bed when he was a kid. It was said that the Lord of the Mountain was the reincarnation of a sage that died in the land that it now protects, watching over all of the forest animals and appearing very occasionally in corporeal form alongside large animal migrations to the mountain. But there it was, stood tall in the water, observing the small creatures that chase each other around the pond. “What are those other things?” Seonghwa asks in amazement.

“They’re called blupees,” Hongjoong explains quietly. “I can’t say I know much about them but it’s thought that they’re also spirits that serve the Lord of the Mountain.”

“Incredible,” Seonghwa breathes.

He quickly loses track of how long he and Hongjoong stay crouched behind the rocks. They’re content to watch the magical creatures hop about and play together. It’s like nothing he’s ever seen before, and he wonders what other myths he’d heard might actually be real.

Eventually, Seonghwa lets out a loud, unbidden yawn that makes a couple of the blupees’ ears perk up in fear and disappear in a burst of light. Hongjoong laughs silently behind their hand.

“Let’s get you back to the stable inn for bed.” They murmur, rising to their feet slowly and beginning to sneak away from the clearing, Seonghwa following closely behind. “I borrowed a couple of paragliders so we can get down easily without having to walk all the way again.”

“Oh thank goddess,” Seonghwa sighs, “I think my legs would give out halfway down if we had to walk.”

Hongjoong slips a hand into his and gives it a squeeze. “Don’t worry, I’d carry you all the way down if I had to, my darling prince.”

“Somehow, I really don’t doubt that.”

\---

When they arrive back at the inn, the pair are out like a light as soon as they collapse together on the bed and sleep till midday. It’s a blissful change for Seonghwa, who usually has to be up early each day to carry out his royal duties. He relishes in being able to wake up gradually, letting himself burrow further into the blankets and wrap his arms tighter around the warm body against his chest.

They collect their horses and leave for Faron Forest a couple of hours later after a hearty brunch. Mid afternoon, they reach Lake Hylia and Seonghwa can’t help but gasp at the sheer size of it, great mountains enclosing it on either side. A broad, stone bridge spans the width of it, some of its arched support pillars worn away after years of wear and tear. However, it still holds out sturdy and unyielding as their horses trot across it. The sky is a lot cloudier than the previous day, but Seonghwa imagines how spectacular the lake would look early morning with the sun glinting off its surface.

It’s getting dark by the time they reach the Highland Stable on the outskirts of the forest to rest for the night. The inn at the stable provides them a good dinner, including a fruit pie for dessert made with durians and bananas freshly picked from the forest, and then they stay up into the evening playing cards and drinking with some of the other guests who welcome the two of them jovially. When the guests realise that he’s the Prince of Hyrule, they become even more excited, and all pitch in to buy him a large glass of the region’s fanciest cider.

Seonghwa feels like he should probably pace himself- after all he had a reputation to upkeep- but Hongjoong makes it very difficult when they keep ordering drinks and pushing them in his direction.

“Love, shouldn’t we cut back on the drinks now?” Seonghwa eventually says to his rather flushed partner, pushing a glass of water towards them. “We do have places to be tomorrow.”

“Are you suggesting that I can’t handle my alcohol well?” Hongjoong glares at him with no real heat, their words slurring. “Have you seen the alcohol in Gerudo Town? It’s waaaay stronger than this stuff!”

“That may be so, but we don’t want you hungover tomorrow when we’re exploring.” Seonghwa nudges the water closer. “Drink the water and then we’ll go to bed, yes?”

“You’re not my mother, you can’t tell me what to do.” Hongjoong crosses their arms with a pout and goddess Seonghwa forgets how whiney they can be when they’re drunk.

“Hongjoong.” Seonghwa puts on his strictest prince voice, trying to fight back a smile. “Please drink the water.”

Hongjoong rolls their eyes and picks up the glass. “Yes, your highness.” They say dramatically, downing it all in one.

Seonghwa laughs and stands up, “Let’s get you to bed, my treasure.” He turns to address the other guests at the table. “It’s been a fun evening, it was lovely to meet you all. Please excuse us.”

The guests, also all very drunk, loudly wish them good night. One of them yells “get some!” as they head back to their room, to which Hongjoong glances back over their shoulder and sends them a wink, melding themself to Seonghwa’s side. Ah yes, Seonghwa thinks, and here is the clingy side of drunk Hongjoong.

Back in their room, Seonghwa helps Hongjoong remove all of their jewellery and box it away carefully, before throwing them their sleepwear and getting changed into his own. Hongjoong is asleep as soon as their head hits the pillow and Seonghwa is soon to follow, snuggling against Hongjoong’s back and closing his eyes.

\---

They manage to leave the stable late morning after a big breakfast and Hongjoong drinking a herbal elixir to fight off their mild hangover. At the edge of the forest, the trees aren’t too dense, and Seonghwa admires how the morning sunlight filters through the leaves. Hongjoong assures him they’re not in any hurry, so they both ride along slowly, jumping off their horses a couple of times to investigate old ruins of statues that they come across more closely. Gradually, the trees become thicker and much taller, the temperature rising with them in the more tropical climate. The air is humid and buzzing with the sounds of cicadas and the rustling of wildlife hidden in the foliage. Seonghwa knows he’s going to feel disgusting by the time they’ve reached the Lakeside Stable, but he can’t bring himself to mind with the immense beauty of the forest. The path brings them across Floria River (where the bridge is so low that he crouches down on it and unceremoniously dunks his overheated face into the water to cool off) and between steep rock cliffs with vines creeping down their sides.

They travel in relative silence, Hongjoong content to watch Seonghwa who regards everything with stars in his eyes. By this point, Hongjoong has probably travelled all of Hyrule twice over. It’s still incredibly gorgeous to them, but mostly familiar, and they’d almost forgotten the awestruck feeling of seeing something entirely new and wonderful for the first time. However, looking over at Seonghwa with his midnight hair falling in front of his glittering gaze and plump lips slightly parted, it feels like the first time all over again.

After a while, they reach the end of the river that spills into an enormous lake. The area is surrounded by extraordinary rocky heights boosting new levels of forest and layers of mighty waterfalls plunging down the cliff faces and into the water below.

“Wow…” Seonghwa exhales. “How have I been missing out on this for so long?”

“I’ll show you every inch of Hyrule one day.” Hongjoong tells him with a soft smile. “There’s so much beauty to see in the world.”

“Yeah.” Seonghwa looks at them, breathless, stars still in his eyes. “Yeah, there really is.”

Nestled among the trees further on is the Lakeside Stable. They take their horses over to the stablehands and leave them with an affectionate pat on the nose to head inside the inn. Hongjoong pays for them to stay for three nights so they have time to explore the forest further, pointing out various spots on the map where there were interesting ruins and hidden lakes.

“This evening we’re camping though, and it’s going to take a very steep hike to get there.” Hongjoong tells Seonghwa as they eat dinner. The main room of the inn is surprisingly busy, filled with excited tourists enjoying their food too. “It’s the spot that people always camp in for this, and as you can probably tell, we’ll be heading up there with a group.”

“Isn’t it right at the top of Floria Falls?” Seonghwa questions somewhat dubiously. “Is this steep hike actually going to be some precarious rock climbing?”

Hongjoong shakes their head with a laugh, “Don’t worry, there’s a trail, it’s just very steep. It’ll be worth it, I promise.”

They fall into casual conversation, though Seonghwa has part of his attention on the people chatting around him, wracking his brains to try and figure out what was so special about tomorrow morning. It’s then that he hears someone mention “the great Farosh” and everything suddenly makes sense.

He’d read plenty about the three dragons in his history lessons. They were ancient spirits that took on the form of these powerful beings that served the Goddess Hylia, each traversing a region that held their associated enchanted springs once every four months. The exact locations of the springs were unknown, but the fire dragon Dinraal was said to reside in the Akkala region to the north-east, the ice dragon Naydra at the peak of snowy Mount Lanayru and the electric dragon Farosh across the southern Faron and Gerudo regions.

“My birthday really fell in time with the appearance of Farosh?” Seonghwa asks curiously.

“Ah, I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep it a secret for long,” Hongjoong grins. “Yeah, I was shocked at how perfectly timed it was, so I thought we obviously had to take advantage of it.”

“Definitely!” Seonghwa claps his hands together enthusiastically. He’d only ever seen drawings of the dragons and he always dreamed of being able to witness one in person. “Is the spot at the top of the falls the best place to see him fly past?”

“Not only that but the spring there is where Farosh emerges from, we’ll be right next to him!”

“Woah!” Seonghwa’s eyes widen. “At a safe distance where we don’t get electrocuted, I assume?”

Hongjoong chuckles, endeared by Seonghwa’s concern. “Yes, we’ll be totally safe.”

After dinner, a Hylian man stands in the doorway and calls the attention of the people who are hiking up cliffs that evening. He explains that they will head out in an hour and everyone should ensure they have their own tents, sleeping bags and sturdy shoes for walking. Seonghwa and Hongjoong pack their bags and relax outside, gazing out over the lake until it’s time to leave.

The hike ends up taking a good hour and a half. Seonghwa hates to complain but his legs honestly feel like they’re about to fall off. However, Hongjoong makes it all that much better when they hold his hand most of the way up, sending him a bright grin and giving him a kiss on the cheek when they make it up a particularly steep section that has Seonghwa groaning at his aching legs.

Seonghwa would feel embarrassed about how he immediately collapses to his knees upon arriving at the top of the cliffs by the spring, but several others do as well, so at least he wasn’t the only one struggling. Somehow, Hongjoong is still up on their feet, a sheen of sweat on their forehead and breathing a little more heavy yet otherwise unaffected. The Hylian tour guide gestures towards an area tucked in the corner several metres away from the water where they can set up their tents, and leaves them to do their own thing. Seonghwa doesn’t move from where he’s kneeling, instead casting his bag aside and flopping rather unceremoniously back onto the grass, staring up at the night sky. He hears Hongjoong laugh above him before they lay down too.

“You alright there?” they snicker, but Seonghwa can detect the layer of concern in their voice.

“I’m fine, I’m just going to take an extremely long shower when we get back to the stable inn tomorrow.” He says, plucking at the edge of his t-shirt and grimacing at the way it sticks to his skin.

“All part of the fun of trekking in the wild!” Hongjoong reaches over to pat his arm. “Now, do you want to set up our tent or stay here a bit longer?”

“Stay here, if that’s alright. I don’t think I can physically move at the moment.”

“That’s fine, it means we can stargaze.” It’s a clear night, and atop the cliffs there’s nothing blocking their view of the twinkling stars scattered across the darkness. Hongjoong points at a cluster of stars directly above them. “You see that constellation there? It’s shaped like a lightning strike and named after the dragon Farosh. Here is the best place to see it.”

“It’s pretty.” Seonghwa mumbles, following Hongjoong’s finger to look at the stars in question. “Do you know any more constellations?”

“Yes!” Hongjoong says enthusiastically. His question launches them into a long ramble about the stars, directing his attention to each different constellation they can see and describing the meanings behind them.

Seonghwa smiles at them fondly. They’re truly beautiful like this: eyes alight with passion as they gush about something they’re so interested in. He will always be in awe of the way Hongjoong soaks up knowledge everywhere they go with such genuine curiosity and eagerness to learn. Sometimes he thinks he has grown to understand the world a lot better through what Hongjoong has taught him and shown him than he will ever learn in the stuffy lessons he used to have at the castle.

“And that constellation in the distance is a great horse who was the noble steed of--”

“A horse?” Seonghwa squints at the constellation. “Are you sure it isn’t a badly arranged giraffe?”

“No- hey!” Hongjoong rolls over to glare at him, poking his side irritably. “Don’t be mean! Those map drawings weren’t supposed to be good!”

Seonghwa laughs, looping an arm around Hongjoong’s waist. “I know, my love, you are really an amazing artist.” And they absolutely were; indeed Seonghwa wondered if there was anything that Hongjoong wasn’t incredible at.

Hongjoong just grumbles and shoves at him as Seonghwa tries to pull them closer “Noooo let go you’re all gross and sticky.”

“As if you didn’t also do a long trek up some steep cliffs.”

“Yeah, but I live in the desert, I’m used to the heat and therefore am not gross and sticky.” Hongjoong sticks their tongue out, hitting at him with no real force to fend him off.

In retaliation, Seonghwa throws himself over Hongjoong and lets his full bodyweight pin them to the ground with a triumphant grin. “Ha, well now we both are.”

“Disgusting.” Hongjoong says with a whine, giving up on pushing against him. Seonghwa happily takes the win even though he’s well aware that Hongjoong is very capable of forcibly moving him off if they really wanted to.

They pitch their tent in the camping area a little while later and the tour guide tells everyone that he’ll wake them half an hour before the dragon Farosh is due to emerge from the spring. The tent is a lot smaller than Seonghwa realised, but he doesn’t have any complaints because it gives him more excuse to snuggle into Hongjoong whilst they sleep. He discards his t-shirt and watches in amusement as Hongjoong carefully lays their jewellery in the small box they brought with them and hides it underneath the sleeping bag.

Seonghwa falls asleep quickly from the exhaustion of the long walk, and wakes up what feels like barely an hour later with Hongjoong shaking his arm gently, the sun leaking through the open tent zip. He sits up groggily, rubbing at his eyes and accepts the breath mint that Hongjoong offers him. It takes him a long moment to remember why they’re in a cramped tent above a waterfall, but when he does he perks up with newfound energy. Tugging on a clean shirt from his bag, he follows Hongjoong outside to join the small gathering eating breakfast together and observing the spring. The air vibrates with something mystical and electricity crackles across the water as everyone sits with building anticipation.

“Seonghwa, do you feel up to climbing a tree?” Hongjoong inclines their head towards a tree with low hanging branches, perfect for scaling up it. “We’ll get a better view of the spring from above.”

He nods and together they clamber up the tree to settle side by side on the branches at the top. Here, they can look directly over the spring that’s now beginning to bubble, sparks jumping up from the surface. It’s only a few seconds later that the water breaks and from its depths emerges jagged, golden horns, followed by a fearsome face and a glowing, serpentine body covered in white and neon scales that seems to keep going and going as the dragon glides further into the air. It’s magnificent, every drawing that Seonghwa has seen of the dragon didn’t even remotely do it justice.

“Seeing the great Farosh arise from the spring is supposed to bring good luck and fortune for the coming year,” Hongjoong murmurs. “People will tend to pray to the Goddess to ask for her blessing after making the trek. It’s like a pilgrimage of sorts, I suppose.”

Seonghwa makes a noise of understanding and briefly clasps his hands together, thanking the Goddess Hylia in his head for the opportunity to see such a remarkable being and asking her for her blessing to have a happy year by Hongjoong’s side. Surprisingly, Hongjoong also has their hands together in prayer, which is unlike them due to their general aversion to religious worship. He doesn’t question it though, instead focusing on the majestic sight before him as the dragon arches downwards and descends past the waterfall, snaking through the trees and dipping under the bridge across the lake below. His eyes don’t leave the dragon until it has completely disappeared over the far cliffs and he finds himself letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

Neither Seonghwa nor Hongjoong speak for a few long minutes. Beneath them, the other travelers are equally silent, whether it be out of respect for the spiritual creature or being stunned to speechlessness.

“So was that worth coming up here for?” Hongjoong asks eventually with a soft smile.

Eyes bright, Seonghwa nods. “Yes! So worth it. That was… indescribable. I always hoped I would be able to see at least one of the great dragons one day, I’m glad it could finally happen.”

“This won’t be the only one you see, I promise I’ll take you around the whole kingdom to find the other two in time,” Hongjoong says firmly.

Seonghwa shuffles around on the branch to bring Hongjoong into a tight hug. The angle is a bit awkward and there’s a clump of leaves in his face, but he can ignore it with the warmth in his chest and the welling emotion stuck in his throat. “I really can’t thank you enough,” he mumbles. “My treasure, you have shown me a new side to life that I would’ve never thought possible. I dearly hope that I can remain by your side forever.”

Hongjoong swallows thickly, burying their face in Seonghwa’s shoulder. “Yeah, me too.”

\---

They spend the rest of their three days adventuring into the depths of the forest and finding ruins of old statues and temples. There were a couple of run-ins with stray monsters, but Hongjoong was always there brandishing their scimitar and killing them by the time Seonghwa had managed to draw his sword. One afternoon was spent sitting on a picnic blanket by a crescent shaped lake, Seonghwa laying across Hongjoong’s outstretched legs reading a book and Hongjoong sketching a bird-like statue stood in the middle of the water (a drawing which turned out infinitely better than the stick-horses on the map).

It seems like no time at all before Seonghwa and Hongjoong are saddling up their horses to make the journey to Lurelin Village. Seonghwa is surprised to see how close they are to the south coast already when he looks at the map and Hongjoong estimates that it will take them less than three hours to make it to the seaside town.

The sun is still high in the sky when they reach Lurelin Village, and it’s truly a sight to behold. A collection of pretty wooden huts are clustered among palm trees on the shore of a small bay, the water a crystal clear shade of blue that glitters in the sunlight. The area is humming with activity; locals flit around carrying baskets of fish and fruit and children play together on the beach, investigating shallow rock pools and shrieking when they uncover a crab that scurries away across the sand. One of the guards by the main entrance directs Seonghwa and Hongjoong to a stable to drop off their horses and indicates which huts are the inn, the general store and the bar (“we definitely need to go there tonight, Seonghwa,” Hongjoong tells him, grinning. “It may not look like it but the people of Lurelin know how to party.”)

The locals all greet them with cheery smiles and warm words. It’s a welcome change, Seonghwa thinks as they check in to the inn after stopping to chat with several people along the way (one young woman cooing over how cute he and Hongjoong look together and inviting them to join her family’s barbeque in the evening). He’s used to having people simper over him just because he’s the prince, pretending to hang onto his every word with practised smiles to gain his favour. Yet these people, who don’t recognise him as being the Hylian Prince, offer him genuine compassion and interest that seems to simply come from the kindness of their hearts rather than any need to impress. The innkeeper explains to them that since they’re tucked so far out of the way, they don’t get visitors as often as you would expect for a quaint seaside village, so the locals are enthused at being able to introduce new people to their thriving culture.

“We’ve got a while until dinner, shall we go for a swim?” Hongjoong proposes once they’ve settled into their room.

“Definitely!” Seonghwa agrees, eager to take a dip in the sea with the constant heat of the past few days. He gets changed into his swimming shorts and roots around in his bag for a loose t-shirt, but finds it suspiciously lacking of anything other than long sleeved shirts.

“Love, are my t-shirts in your bag?” Seonghwa asks, glancing over his shoulder at Hongjoong.

“Noooo…?” Hongjoong says innocently, not so subtly kicking their bag under the bed behind their legs. Seonghwa gives them a deadpan stare.

“Is this what was written on the map? Hide Seonghwa’s t-shirts when swimming?”

Hongjoong smiles sheepishly. “Let me indulge a little, okay? It’s not every day I’ll get to see shirtless sunkissed Seonghwa on the beach.”

“Since when were you so bold?” Seonghwa chuckles, pecking Hongjoong on the lips. “But alright, I’ll humour you.”

Once Hongjoong has changed into their swimwear and they leave the inn, Seonghwa only has seconds of warning when Hongjoong exclaims “race you into the sea!” before they’re off sprinting down the beach.

“Wha-- you can’t have a head start!” Seonghwa says indignantly, racing after them.

Hongjoong reaches the water first, though only narrowly as Seonghwa splashes after them. Still, they stick their tongue out at him and dart away when he tries to tackle them, wading into deeper water so they can swim.

“We should have a race across the bay,” Seonghwa says as he catches up. “From here to that boat moored at the jetty over there.” He likes to think he’ll be able to win this one, after all he’s a pretty strong swimmer and Hongjoong doesn’t exactly get many chances to swim in the desert. However, the glint that appears in Hongjoong’s eyes suggests that they’re not going down without a fight.

“Oh yes, let’s go.”

Seonghwa counts them down and as soon as he hits zero, the two of them start swimming as fast as they can. Hongjoong manages to overtake Seonghwa and starts kicking harder, splashing his face when he comes up for air.

Oh now they’re really in for it.

With a desperate burst of speed, Seonghwa pulls in front of Hongjoong and just about keeps the lead all the way up to him hitting his hands against the boat in success.

“Aha!”

Hongjoong pouts. “I live in the desert, I can’t be expected to be the best at swimming.”

“Excuses, excuses,” Seonghwa tuts. Hongjoong glares at him and turns away, climbing up onto the jetty.

Seonghwa looks up at them in confusion. “What are you doing?”

His question is answered seconds later when Hongjoong jumps off, tucking in their arms and legs as they hit the water with a massive splash and soaking Seonghwa in the process. He coughs, blinking the water out of his eyes and narrowing them at Hongjoong.

“If that’s how you want to play, then so be it.”

Perhaps it was quite a strange sight to the locals; two supposedly mature adults splashing water at each other, practically wrestling between the gentle waves. It would be even stranger if they knew of Seonghwa’s status, not expecting a prince to partake in such childish fighting.

Really though, it wasn’t strange at all.

One of the many things Seonghwa adores about Hongjoong is that he can let go around them. There is no obligation to keep up the formality and properness that held his people’s respect. He doesn’t have to be the popular Hylian Prince Seonghwa Park, next in line to take the crown once his father passes. He is just Seonghwa, a twenty-six year old man who likes cooking and cleaning and being surrounded by his friends and family and is completely and utterly head over heels for a red-headed Gerudo who looks at him like he strung all the stars in the sky.

When the pair emerge from the sea an hour or so later, Seonghwa is thoroughly drenched but very content. He slicks his hair back and water drips down the defined muscles of his arms and chest. Lips twitching, he doesn’t miss the way that Hongjoong follows the movement with their eyes, nor does he miss the group of pink-cheeked girls sneaking glances at him across the beach. Hongjoong doesn’t miss this either, because suddenly they’re wrapping an arm around his waist and leaning into his side, sending the girls a challenging glare. Seonghwa laughs and rests a hand at Hongjoong’s side in return, kissing the top of their head.

That evening, they join the family that invited them for a barbeque. The dark-haired woman who they first spoke to introduces herself as Kiana, her bearded husband as Sebasto and her two young sons hovering eagerly by the fish on the grill as Zuta and Kinov.

“The porgy was caught fresh this morning by my husband!” Kiana gushes. “We also have some razorclaw crab and blueshell snails which are a local delicacy, although I know many people aren’t keen on snails, so I won’t be offended if you pass on them.”

“It’s certainly an acquired taste, but I do like them. I’ve only had snails from Zora’s Domain before though so I’m intrigued to try them,” Seonghwa muses. They all sit down around the table and Kiana offers them salad and pasta whilst they wait for the fish to be grilled.

He notices how the kids are staring at Hongjoong, wide eyed and curious. Hongjoong shifts a little uncomfortably, but relaxes when Zuta exclaims, “Your jewellery is so pretty!”

“Oh!” Hongjoong smiles shyly. “Thank you.”

“Mama makes us pretty jewellery too! She makes shell necklaces!” Kinov pulls out a string from beneath his shirt with a trio of pink shells and beads attached and shows it off proudly.

“Wow! She’s really good at it, it’s so pretty,” Hongjoong compliments.

Kiana chuckles, “It’s a hobby of mine, really. I do adore your jewellery though, Gerudo jewellery is truly something else. They were all made by hand, right?

“Yes!” Hongjoong nods and runs a finger across the sapphire necklace they had picked out for dinner. “The jewellers in our town are amazing.”

“Aah, I’m so jealous, I’d love to be glammed up like that,” Kiara shakes her head and looks over at the fish on the grill, “Honey, I think the fish is done, do you mind serving it?” she says to her husband.

“Sure thing.”

Sebasto piles a large plate with the fish and brings it over to the table, “Help yourselves to whatever you want! We have plenty to go around.”

They all tuck into their food with gusto. Seonghwa hums appreciatively at the snails and offers one to Hongjoong, who politely declines with a barely disguised disgusted expression at the slimy creature.

“I’m curious, how did you both meet when you are from two very different parts of Hyrule? Do you travel often?” Kiana asks, watching them with sparkling eyes.

Hongjoong looks at Seonghwa, unwilling to reply themself lest they reveal information that he wouldn’t be comfortable sharing.

“We met at Kara Kara Bazaar in the desert when I was on a business trip,” Seonghwa says smoothly. “Hongjoong happened to be there and I was immediately captivated by how gorgeous they are, so I simply had to approach them and offer to buy them a drink. We got along well during my stay and in the months later, we exchanged letters regularly and visited each other between work.” It was a very adapted version of the development of their relationship, but the heavy details weren’t something that needed to be discussed at a relaxed dinner.

“Aww, that’s so sweet,” Kiana coos. “Do you live together now?”

Seonghwa shakes his head. “Not at the moment. Hongjoong has their responsibilities in Gerudo Town and I work in Central Hyrule, so we get by on letters and visits when we have time.”

“Gosh! I don’t think I could cope being apart from my darling for so long. Are you planning on moving in together in the future?”

Hongjoong stuffs a big piece of fish into their mouth to avoid responding. They had brought up long term plans before, but it never led to any solid agreements. Seonghwa was very clear with his intentions; he wanted to marry Hongjoong someday and have them live with him at the castle to rule by his side when he became king. However, Hongjoong had always been hesitant with their strong attachment to their hometown and their duty to protect it. Forever a sweetheart, Seonghwa respected their reservations and reassured them that ultimately, as long as they were happy and comfortable with their relationship, he was more than fine with whatever arrangement suited them best.

“I… hope so,” Seonghwa says eventually. “We’re still working things out, but if there’s one thing that I know with absolute certainty, it’s that I want to be with Hongjoong for the rest of my life if they’ll let me.”

Blushing, Hongjoong covers their face and Kiana gives them both a soft smile. “I’m sure you two will work something out,” she says, “Your relationship is really something special.”

“Yeah,” Seonghwa’s hand finds Hongjoong’s under the table, “It really is.”

\---

The next day is bright and sunny. Hongjoong wakes up early to the sound of seagulls cawing overhead and the muffled chatter of fishermen outside preparing to head out to sea. For a few minutes, they close their eyes again and curl up closer to Seonghwa, listening to his quiet breathing to try and lull themself back to sleep. They get restless quickly though, slipping out of Seonghwa’s grasp and padding barefoot to the door. With a glance towards Seonghwa’s peaceful form, they figure he’ll probably be asleep for a while longer and head outside to the beach.

Hongjoong finds a small, raised outcrop of rocks nearby and perches on one of the lower ones, dangling their feet in water. The waves gently lap over their toes as they watch the fishermen in their boats finish checking all their equipment is in order for the day. It’s been a long while since they were last in Lurelin, but out of everywhere they had traveled in Hyrule, it would always be their favourite. If things were different- if Seonghwa wasn’t a prince and they weren’t so dedicated to their duty of protecting the Gerudo Chief- maybe the two of them could’ve moved to Lurelin Village and spent their lives taking romantic walks along the beach at sunset and having barbeques with their friendly neighbours.

They sigh, kicking their feet in the water and sending a spray of droplets into the air. Never in their life did they think they would find something they wanted to hang onto outside of Gerudo Town, but here they were, having spent a couple of months preparing a trip across Hyrule to make their boyfriend happy and now was ready to give their everything to him.

“Ah, I wondered where you were.”

Hongjoong turns to see Seonghwa approaching them. He still looks half-asleep, hair disheveled and eyes drooping, and it makes Hongjoong want to tuck him back into bed. “I woke up early and wanted some air,” they shrug. “How come you’re awake? I thought you’d sleep in longer.”

“Mm, I woke up and realised you weren’t there so I came looking.” He says, settling down next to them and letting his feet dip in the water too. “Oh! That’s colder than I expected.”

Chuckling, Hongjoong pokes his side. “Go back to bed, you still look tired.”

Seonghwa shakes his head, leaning against them. “I appreciate the concern but I’m fine. I’d prefer to stay out here with you.” His expression becomes concerned. “You alright?”

“Mhm, just a little restless but nothing to worry about,” Hongjoong says, resting their head on his shoulder. “By the way, we’re going somewhere special today for a picnic, although it does involve some walking.”

“How much is ‘some walking’?”

“An hour up a small mountain that’s more like a big hill really," Hongjoong tells him sheepishly. “It’s not steep though, it’ll be a relaxed walk.”

Seonghwa presses a kiss into their hair. “Alright, I’m looking forward to it!”

After a while, Hongjoong’s stomach grumbles and both of them laugh. They head back to the inn for breakfast and buy wraps and fresh fruit for their picnic lunch, before getting properly dressed and packing a bag to take with them. Hongjoong takes extra care on their outfit, picking out a floaty, pale blue skirt, its shorter front fixed with a thick golden belt, a delicate sapphire necklace and a twisting, golden circlet encrusted with opals and a polished sapphire in the centre. Sitting in front of the dressing table mirror, they tie their hair half up and plait it back.

“You’re going all out today,” Seonghwa notes as he ties up his boots. Hongjoong hums as they secure the end of the plait with a hairband.

“It’s a nice day, I felt like making an extra effort.”

“Well you look beautiful, my love.” Seonghwa says sincerely, getting to his feet and hoisting the bag onto his shoulder. “Is it worth bringing weapons at all?”

Hongjoong considers for a moment. “It’s a very peaceful spot, we should be fine but I’ll take my scimitar in case. You don’t need to worry about your sword if you don’t feel like bringing it though.”

Seonghwa nods and decides against bringing his sword. With that, they head out, walking towards a small mountain that they had passed on their way to Lurelin. The path is gentle, which has Seonghwa sighing in relief because his legs still ache from Faron, and he enjoys the view of the sea glistening down below as they trek upwards. Hongjoong is surprisingly quiet, gazing out to sea with a faraway look in their eyes rather than rambling about their knowledge of the mountain or the area.

When they reach the top of the mountain, Seonghwa gasps and he hears Hongjoong take a sharp intake of breath too. Before them is a beautiful, heart shaped pond, the water pristine and glittering in the sunlight. Wild flowers bloom on the surrounding grass, all blues and pinks and yellows swaying in the spring breeze.

“It’s so pretty,” Seonghwa says, turning to Hongjoong who appears to be lost in thought. “What’s it called?”

“Hm?” Hongjoong starts slightly, “Ah, it’s called Lover’s Pond. I… I’ve hoped I could bring you here for a while.”

Seonghwa smiles at them softly. “Thank you for bringing me, it’s lovely.” He swings the bag off his back and begins unzipping it. “Shall we have our picnic? I’m rather hungry.”

Hongjoong seems to snap out of whatever daze they were in and grins. “Yes! Me too.”

They lay out the blanket at the point of the heart-shaped pond and start eating their lunch, chatting about the past week. Seonghwa can hardly believe that half of their trip has already passed. They’ll only be in Lurelin for a few days until they have to start the journey back to the castle and Hongjoong will have to leave once again. He tries not to linger on how they will be parting soon, cherishing every single second he gets to spend by their side.

“Have you been up here before?” Seonghwa asks once they’ve finished their food and sit together enjoying the sun, thinking back to Hongjoong’s apparent awe that matched his own when they arrived.

“I haven’t,” Hongjoong says, gazing at the water contemplatively. “Lover’s Pond… Well it’s a place that the Gerudo tell many stories about. They say here is where you will meet your soulmate, the voe that is destined to be yours for the rest of your life.” They laugh somewhat bitterly. “I never believed in it to be honest. It was always an overly fanciful fairytale to entertain the hopeless romantics that believe in concepts like fate and soulmates. Not something that I ever thought I could have, or even deserved to have.”

Seonghwa shifts and intertwines his hands with Hongjoong’s to pull their attention over to him, his heart aching. “My treasure, trust me when I say that you deserve everything good in this world. You deserve to be loved, you deserve to be happy, you deserve the entire universe. Goddess, I would steal all the stars in the sky for you if you so wished.”

“Ah, Seonghwa.” They duck their head, cheeks tinging pink. “You… You make me feel like I do deserve those things. Never in my life have I felt so loved, so treasured,” they meet his eyes again and he’s startled to see that they’re becoming glossy with unshed tears. “I wanted to bring you here because I believe that you are my soulmate. I used to think it was a laughable idea, but every moment I’ve been with you, I’m certain that you are, and always will be, the most perfect person for me. You don’t need to steal all the stars for me because you are the brightest star of them all.”

“You are too,” Seonghwa murmurs softly, lovingly, “I didn’t know what true love felt like until I met you. I always thought I’d be destined to marry the nice daughter of a lord to be my queen and carry on the royal family line. Being with you… I’ve learnt that there’s so much more to life and love that I hadn’t ever imagined, and I couldn’t be happier.” He lifts a hand to Hongjoong’s cheek and wipes away a stray tear.

It takes all of Hongjoong’s strength not to just start sobbing and surge forwards to kiss Seonghwa senseless. “You make me so happy in ways I can’t even describe, I love you more than I’ve ever loved anything else. I’ve been thinking a lot lately and I’ve made a decision.” They take a shaky breath, moving away slightly from Seonghwa’s touch to reach for the tiny box stowed away in the bag. They’re already kneeling, and they think Seonghwa should probably be standing but it doesn’t matter because he’s already clocked what’s going on and now he’s gazing at them with stars shining brightly in his eyes, a hand covering his mouth in shock.

“Seonghwa Park, I want to give you everything that I possibly can. I want to show you the whole world, I want to fight for you and the home you love so much, I want to be there waiting with open arms at the end of every day to take care of you because you take care of everyone else, I want to share all of your smiles and your tears, I want to stand by your side when you rule over this kingdom one day and every day after that.” They open the box to reveal an elegant, golden ring, a lustrous ruby sat in the centre of the band framed by diamonds either side. “My beautiful, radiant star, will you marry me?”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Seonghwa’s crying now, closing the gap between them to kiss Hongjoong passionately. “I love you, I love you so much, I can’t wait to spend my whole life with you, my dearest, sweetest treasure, I love you.” The words tumble out in a whisper against Hongjoong’s lips and they respond by holding him tighter, kissing him deeper, sealing a promise to love him forever.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Pls let me know what you think and leave kudos if you enjoyed<3  
> Follow me on twt for snippets of wips & me crying over ateez [woosanger](https://twitter.com/woosanger)


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